The Week’s Most Popular Posts: May 2 – 5, 2016

Let’s take a look back at the week that was, here on Book Riot:

Ready for your TBR list to explode? I’ve gathered the 100 best sci-fi fantasy novels by female authors and there is sooooo much reading goodness to dig into. From YA to adult lit, from magical realism to epic fantasy to post-apocalyptic sci-fi feminism, from short stories to series, there’s a book on this list for every single reader.

For some reason, people tend to believe that because I am so devoted to my place of worship, I mean work, I won’t shop at any other bookstore. This is far from the truth. I like to scan the book aisles at Target (out of curiosity), I hear the siren-call of used bookstores like any other book-loving human, and I even enjoy a good stroll through a Barnes and Noble. But other indies…they are irresistible. Every indie bookstore has its own personality, and each demands to be explored—whether it’s the indie in the nearest city where I shop for jeans, or one I stumble upon while on vacation. And once I am inside, respect must be paid. In the form of purchases.

The following is a list of thoughts I’ve had when encountering a bookstore in the wild.

Lemonade. You’d be hard pressed to find anything but people talking about Lemonade. But we ain’t talking about summer beverages, we’re talking about Beyoncé. Lemonade, Beyoncé’s visual album that aired on HBO, is a delight to the senses and a fierce ode to black womanhood. Beyond the discussions of infidelity and Beckys and the fears of white women that they’re missing something (spoiler: you are), Lemonade is an accomplishment in its own right. That deserves a reading list, doesn’t it? Damn straight.

So check out the reading list below featuring amazing books by black women authors (goes great with my “Formation” reading list). And check out other reading lists for Lemonade on instagram and Twitter at the hashtag #lemonadesyllabus.

Contrary to popular opinion, Asia is not a monolith, and our literature is as diverse as our personal histories. With nearly 50 countries, and thousands of different cultures at hand, an incredible range of Asian writers and stories can be found to delight all kinds of readers.

I’ve focused this list on Asian characters as written by Asian authors, setting out to include as many genres as I can. Romance, mystery, fantasy, science-fiction, contemporary YA–there’s something for everyone here, all featuring kickass Asian characters from across our many countries. I don’t know about you, but it’s one of my dearest hopes that I can write up a whole new list next year, with many many more books.

The first moment of calm and relaxation came as I entered the library. Because even though I didn’t know this library as well as I knew my local library back at home, it was still a library, an institution and a template that I knew better than any other. It settled and grounded me; it comforted me. I said, as I entered, “Okay, now I feel better. I’m excited about getting married now.”

Kelly Jensen: Kelly is a former teen and adult librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Twitter @veronikellymars.